By Marvin Moore July 5, 2023
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is a massive favorite to earn the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. The former sixth-round pick suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle in a Monday Night Football game in early January but returned to the practice field in May for the team’s optional summer workouts.
Although Hamlin is the leading choice for an award typically given to a player who overcomes adversity – such as an injury or for playing well compared to the previous season – there is a bevy of other candidates who might also deserve this prestigious honor.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith took home the prize last year, marking the fifth consecutive season that a signal-caller had won the award. Here are our top picks for this year’s Comeback Player of the Year honors.
10. Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The 2018 first-rounder was suspended indefinitely in the spring of last year, including the entire 2022 season, and forfeited his base salary of $11.1 million for betting on NFL games in 2021.
“I just f***ed up. Period,” Ridley wrote in The Players’ Tribune. “In a dark moment, I made a stupid mistake. I wasn’t trying to cheat the game. That’s the thing I want to make clear. At the time, I had been completely away from the team for about a month. I was still just so depressed and angry, and the days were so long. I was looking for anything to take my mind off of things and make the day go by faster.”
The Falcons traded Ridley to the Jaguars in November for a pair of draft picks, and the 28-year-old was reinstated in March. The former Alabama standout caught 90 balls for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020 and could put up similar numbers this season with Trevor Lawrence under center for Jacksonville.
9. Odell Beckham Jr, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Beckham missed the 2022 season while recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. The fastest player in NFL history to reach 200 career receptions and 4,000 career receiving yards, the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens in April.
The 30-year-old will join a Baltimore squad shifting to a more pass-friendly offense this upcoming season. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has implemented a new scheme that will allow quarterback Lamar Jackson to showcase his electric arm, offering Beckham the opportunity to become once again one of the league’s top receiving playmakers.
8. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
The former second-round pick suffered a brutal multi-ligament knee injury in Week 4 last season after tallying 903 rushing yards, 43 receptions, and seven total touchdowns during his 2021 rookie campaign. The 23-year-old is expected to be completely recovered for training camp.
Williams is a three-down back that should flourish in new Broncos’ Head Coach Sean Payton’s uptempo offense. Although Payton prefers a two-back system, Alvin Kamara blossomed into a dual-threat workhorse for the Saints in this same offense. If the North Carolina product can remain healthy, the sky is the limit for his rushing and receiving production in 2023.
7. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
The former All-American running back was a 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate before tearing his ACL and meniscus in Week 7. The 22-year-old was averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry with 463 rushing yards, 19 receptions, and five total touchdowns before his maiden NFL campaign ended prematurely.
Hall is a dynamic playmaker with explosive speed that should thrive with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers directing the Jets’ offense this season. Although the former Iowa State standout might not have a full workload during the early stages of the 2023 season, look for him to play a key role in both the running and passing game this year.
6. T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year posted a career-low 5.5 sacks last year after suiting up for only 10 games due to a torn pectoral muscle and arthroscopic knee surgery. The 28-year-old tallied 22.5 sacks in 2021 to tie the NFL record for most quarterback sacks in a single season.
Watt averaged 16 sacks from 2018-2021 and is a nightmare for quarterbacks when healthy. The Steelers’ defense should be potent this season, and the five-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker is primed to turn in another All-Pro season.
5. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was having another stellar season last year before a season-ending high ankle sprain. Kupp still managed to catch 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns in just nine games.
The former third-round pick led the league in 2021 with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns. The 30-year-old expects to be ready for Week 1 and should return to his dominating ways with veteran quarterback Matt Stafford guiding the Rams’ offense after missing seven games a year ago.
4. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 Draft endured a concussion-prone 2023 campaign but still threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns while topping the NFL in passer rating and passing average. The 25-year-old considered retirement in the off-season because of his brain injuries last year.
Tagovailoa posted an unimpressive 8-5 record as a starter in his third pro season but has an exceptionally high ceiling with dynamic wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The former Alabama
standout should be more comfortable in second-year head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense and is set for a record-setting season.
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
One of the NFL’s most electrifying offensive playmakers, Jackson has missed 10 games over the past two seasons with ankle and knee injuries. The dual-threat quarterback finished with 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 764 rushing yards and three scores in 12 games.
The 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player will finally have the chance to lead a modern passing game as Baltimore switches from its traditional run-heavy offensive scheme. Jackson has a big-time arm and a revamped group of pass-catchers, enabling him to put up MVP-like passing stats.
2. Damar Hamlin, S, Buffalo Bills
Hamlin is a massive favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year honors and for a good reason. The Bills safety almost became the second player to die in an NFL game since Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes in 1971.
The former Pittsburgh Panther participated in the Bills’ offseason workouts and is set to make a dramatic return in the season-opening game on Sept. 11 against the New York Jets.
1. Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos
The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback finished the 2022 campaign with a career-low 16 touchdown passes in a forgettable first season with the Broncos. However, Wilson’s second year in the Rocky Mountains should be much more productive.
The arrival of former New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton should revitalize a horrible Broncos offense. The former third-rounder has a lot left in the tank and is in a great spot to return to the elite tier of NFL signal-callers.
